PhD: Spin and Orbital phenomena for sustainable electronics

The semiconductor industry heavily relies on materials whose extraction, production, and purification processes are currently unsustainable. Simultaneously, the escalating demand for data storage and transfer between electronic devices (from data centers to personal computers, mobile phones to Internet of Things devices, etc.) necessitates denser and faster technology. In this context, nanoscale magnetism presents unique opportunities to revolutionize existing electronics. By harnessing the interplay between electron’s spin, orbital and charge properties, we can manipulate the magnetization of the system and enhance the magnetization switching efficiency. This can be done by leveraging light materials, with abundant availability on Earth and fair access, engineered in suitable multilayer configurations and with different crystallographic, surface/interface, electronic and magnetic properties. By doing so, we can significantly reduce our reliance on heavy metals and rare-earth elements. By carefully designing the multilayer structures, we will tune field-like and antidamping-like torques, and enable efficient magnetization vector switching in in-plane or out-of-plane magnetized systems in SOT-MRAM-like geometry. The aim of the proposed research is to design, fabricate and characterize light and green based magnetic multilayers for spin and orbital generation study. The candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment provided by IMDEA Nanociencia and will have the opportunity to work in strong synergy with several national and EU collaborators of the SpinOrbitronics hosting group. The hired PhD candidate will be enrolled in one of the doctoral programs at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) or Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), she/he will have the opportunity to attend to international summer schools (as the ones organized by UAM, UCM, CEMAG, EMA, IEEE, Spintronic Factory, ….), to participate regularly to group’s and project’s meetings and to attend and present her/his own results in international conferences. The candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment provided by IMDEA Nanociencia and will have the opportunity to work in strong synergy with several national and EU collaborators of the hosting group. Short or mid-term secondments at the EU partner’s institutions will be also set as function of the research/training needs. Eligible candidates must have not resided in Spain more than 12 months during last 3 years. More information is available at https://idealcofund-project.eu/phd/phd-projects/spin-and-orbital-phenomena-for-sustainable-electronics/ Applications can be submitted at https://idealcofund-project.eu/phd/apply/ Interested applicants should send their CV and motivation letter to Dr. Paolo Perna: paolo.perna@imdea.org